Milwaukee ethics committee hiring outside investigator as part of investigation into FPC commissioner

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee's Ethics Board Investigation Committee is in the process of hiring an outside investigator to look into the actions of a fire and police commissioner. 

The commissioner is Steven DeVougas. 

DeVougas was with a suspect in a sexual assault investigation when the suspect was interviewed by Milwaukee police in 2019. 

That suspect has not been charged. 

DeVougas said he was acting as a corporate attorney, and not a criminal attorney. 

However, an outside investigator hired by the Fire and Police Commission said he used his position to try and benefit his client, and it seems he violated some of the city's ethics codes. 

The Ethics Board Investigation Committee will be interviewing at least four possible candidates for the outside investigator job. 

"Each candidate indicated they had not followed the matter issued in the complaint and each felt they could be neutral," Peter Block, with the city attorney's office, said at a meeting Tuesday. 

CBS 58 reached out to commissioner DeVougas but has not yet heard back.